Keith Urban Gets Funky in ‘Never Comin Down’ Video

(Source: Sounds Like Nashville)

Lauren Laffer • AUGUST 23, 2018

Living in the moment and embracing who you are is exactly the message Keith Urban wanted to portray in the music video for his latest single, “Never Comin Down.”

The song, which features lyrics including “When the sun goes down, stars come out / It’s a…. Can you feel it? / When I take  you by the hand, dancin’/ And we pass it around, ’round, ’round/ We’re so high, we could paint the sky/ Tear the top right off the ceilin’ / And I swear we’re never ever comin down / Never comin down / Tell me now, can you feel it? / Never ever, never comin down,” gives off a feeling of exhilaration and enjoying the moment in which you’re in.

The three-and-a-half-minute clip kicks off with a young man sitting nervously in the back of a Lyft, with Urban sitting in as the driver. The man eventually exits the vehicle and makes his way into an electric dance club. The rowdy atmosphere eventually wins the seemingly shy man over, and he leads the dancers in a choreographed line dance to the track.

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Faith Hill To Pay Tribute At Aretha Franklin’s Funeral

Ethan Miller, Getty Images

(Source: Taste of Country)

Wendy Hermanson  August 23, 2018

A variety of artists from different musical genres have been announced as performers for the late Aretha Franklin’s funeral, with Faith Hill notably representing the country world.

Hill, along with formidable company Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson, Fantasia, Yolanda Adams, Chaka Khan and more, will all lift up their remarkable vocal talent to pay homage to Franklin, who died Aug. 16 in her hometown of Detroit.

Hill is a fitting choice for the tribute, having long looked up to the legendary soul singer as a vocal inspiration for her own career. She cited Franklin as her “big influence” in a 1996 interview with the Washington Post.

“For me, the big influence wasn’t Linda Ronstadt; it was Aretha Franklin,” Hill said at the time. “I’ve always listened to Aretha. When you hear the drums and bass on my records, that’s where it comes from.”

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Upon Franklin’s passing, Hill posted a photo of herself with the icon, and captioned it with glowing words: “GLORY, GLORY, GLORY to the ALMIGHTY!!! The choir of angels now have the greatest voice of all time to lead, praise and join in to sing before Jesus. I wanted to share this photo because it shows just how soulful Aretha was without uttering a word. To say I was humbled to be in her presence would be an understatement.”

Hill most recently performed Franklin’s famous duet with George Michael, “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me),” with her husband Tim McGraw last year as part of their Soul2Soul tour.

Franklin’s funeral will be held Aug. 31 at Greater Grace Temple in Detroit.

How Maddie & Tae Overcame Label Drama to Write an Album About Love, Heartbreak & Redemption

Carlos Ruiz Maddie & Tae

(Source: Billboard Country)

At the start of 2017, Maddie Marlow and Taylor Dye — better known as country duo Maddie & Tae — deemed the months ahead “the year of uncomfortable.” With a No. 1 Country Airplay hit in their repertoire (2014’s “Girl in a Country Song”) and a loyal fan base built, the duo were looking to push their limits as they began working on their sophomore album.

Maddie & Tae got what they wanted, but not quite in the way they’d imagined. By March, Maddie & Tae’s label, Dot Records, had shuttered, leaving them wondering about the fate of their next album — and frankly, their career.

“We felt unwanted,” Marlow admits. “The fear of failure was very real, it was like, ‘We are failing. It’s not our choice, but we’re about to take a big hit.”

Continue reading How Maddie & Tae Overcame Label Drama to Write an Album About Love, Heartbreak & Redemption